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CentraCare readies mobile testing team as area senior care homes prepare for coronavirus

A sign is posted near the emergency room entrance to the St. Cloud Hospital earlier this month in St. Cloud.(Photo: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.com)

ST. CLOUD — With coronavirus outbreaks in congregate care settings including nursing homes and senior living becoming an increasing concern, Central Minnesota facilities have prepared their responses.

As of Wednesday, there have been no outbreaks in facilities in Stearns, Benton or Sherburne counties, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. Still, facilities in the St. Cloud area are getting ready.

The response plan starts with testing. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, a patient with a possible case had to be taken to a hospital for a test.

Moving a resident in an ambulance is "hard for a person, regardless of their diagnosis," said St. Benedict's Senior Community Vice President Susan Kratzke. Moving a person with a possible COVID-19 case would also risk infecting others along the way.

CentraCare has created a solution — they'll bring the tests, medical professionals and the required protective equipment directly to the patient's room.

"To do the testing we have a group of people that would be launched from CentraCare to come out into the community," Kratzke said. "That would include independent living, assisted living and long-term care facilities," even outside of the CentraCare system.

The team is made up of staff from CentraCare's Senior Transitions and Home Care Hospice departments. The team will go to facilities in St. Cloud and surrounding cities to test possible cases.

"It really is a service to the residents, as well as the facility, to have CentraCare come out and do that test and be able to keep the person in in their setting as long as possible," Kratzke said.

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Hearts surround a message on the windows of St. Cloud Hospital as part of the "A World of Hearts" movement Friday, April 3, 2020, in St. Cloud. (Photo: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.com)

Good Shepherd Senior Community has its own testing, said CEO Mike Stordahl. The campus hasn't had any positive cases, and tests have been coming back from the state laboratories within two days, and often under 24 hours.

"Obviously they don't have the backlog that they were experiencing weeks ago," Stordahl said.

To administer a test for COVID-19, testers must wear full personal protective equipment, or PPE. That includes gloves, a face shield, a gown and a medical-grade face mask.

Stordahl said Good Shepherd staff is "exhausting all sources to purchase necessary PPE" to do those tests. "It hasn’t been easy, but we do feel we have an adequate stock of it for our staff at this time."

Both Good Shepherd and St. Benedict's have been able to get masks for all staff in their buildings.

"All of our staff are wearing masks, all the time," Stordahl said. "And that does not just include direct care staff, that includes myself to anyone that comes in this building."

Residents at St. Benedict's are now being encouraged to wear cloth masks, Kratzke said. "We are looking for donations of cloth masks for our independent assisted living and long term care units," she said.

Mask donations can be dropped off at the buildings, she said, or can be donated through a statewide mask drive through fire departments.

In the event of a confirmed case, a facility is required to notify all residents, staff and families of residents immediately.

"We have an ability with a new service..." Stordahl said, "to call all families simultaneously." Good Shepherd would then follow up individually, but "at least that way we can get this information out as soon as possible," he said.

Residents with confirmed cases would then be isolated, with a private room and bathroom.

"At St Benedict's, most of ours are private rooms," Kratzke said. "That does allow us to leave people there, but we also have ... a dedicated area to move people to as well."

Good Shepherd has enough nursing home and memory care rooms for its residents as well, Stordahl said. "We are very fortunate, truthfully, to be in a facility of such large size."

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A sign at the main entrance to Good Shepherd Lutheran Home is pictured Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019, in Sauk Rapids. (Photo: Dave Schwarz, dschwarz@stcloudtimes.com)

The facility does have a wing that would be set aside in the event of a coronavirus case, which would allow all staff and residents to be completely separate, he said.

Good Shepherd staff have increased cleaning protocols, stopped sharing offices and have been working from home whenever possible, Stordahl said.

Erik Newland is the suburbs reporter for the St. Cloud Times. Reach him at 320-255-8761 or enewland@stcloudtimes.com. Follow him on Twitter @SCTimesErik.